Rita Moreno says it was always in her nature to be generous – to hold doors for people and help lighten a mother’s load if she was struggling with shopping bags and children.
FILE - Rita Moreno arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Moreno will be honored for her career and philanthropic accomplishments at the WNET Group 2024 Gala at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. says it was always in her nature to be generous – to hold doors for people and help lighten a mother’s load if she was struggling with shopping bags and children.
Following her Oscar win for “West Side Story,” Moreno joined the “Ban the Bomb” demonstrations against atomic testing. In 1963, she joinedand was close enough to Martin Luther King, Jr. as he spoke that she saw gospel singer Mahalia Jackson urge him, “Tell him about the dream, Martin,” leading him to ad lib his most famous speech. For decades, she has fought against the racism and sexism she has experienced in the entertainment – for herself and for those who have followed in her footsteps.
“When I’m asked to be a part of something like that, I’m always astonished,” said Moreno, adding that she “couldn’t be prouder” to be honored by public television because it has been such an important part of her life and career. But Moreno’s work on “The Electric Company” had serious impact as well. She could see it helping her daughter, Fernanda, who was five when the show began, with her reading. And for generations of Latino young people, Moreno was the first person they saw on TV who looked like them.
“We love her,” he said. “We adore her both for the artist she is and the great work she’s brought to the American public. And we have a special relationship with her for the work we have done on past issues and that she has been on some of our shows like ‘The Electric Company.’” The gala honoring Moreno will also serve as a kickoff of sorts for the nonprofit’s new Broadway and Beyond initiative, which will collect new theater programs on-air and online in May and June.
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